Here’s my first major attempt at massive multi-track composing in Garage Band. (…and by massive, I mean 78 tracks and 500+ effects). All the samples and beats are my own creation, using the synthesizer library within the Korg X50. I’ve mentioned the Korg X50 several times before (e.g., here and here), and I really am loving it.

One of my favorite features on the Korg X50 is the ability of control the full range of low-pitch frequency and high-pitch frequency cutoff thresholds for all synthesized leads. Here is an improvised bass track that heavily demonstrates this feature. I’m using synth bass #A021 and pad #A016, plus some post-editing in GarageBand.

I recently stumbled across the Swedish pop music of Karin Elisabeth Dreijer Andersson, whose projects include Fever Ray and the The Knife. Her melodies are haunting, her lyrics are smart, and the studio production is subtle and precise. Pitchfork Media gushed about her last album, naming it one of the best of 2006. Now it’s my turn to gush about her latest album, “Fever Ray.” In particular, I love the music videos; each of them is a little mystery to unravel. Here are three of my favorites: